Esther J. Cepeda

Esther J. Cepeda is Chicago's first Latina metropolitan newspaper columnist.

Cepeda was born in Chicago and grew up on the city's north side in the neighborhood commonly known as "Wrigleyville." The only child of immigrant parents she is of Ecuadorian and Mexican descent.

Although raised in a predominantly Spanish speaking household, Esther became fluent in both Spanish and English as a young child. She attended grammar school at St. Andrews School in the days before bilingual education and then went on to graduate from Lane Technical High School.

Along with minors in psychology and music, Esther earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois in 1996. She then studied briefly at the Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She also obtained a M.A. in education from Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Prior to becoming a Chicago Sun-Times columnist, Cepeda worked as a publicist, marketing executive, first grade and high school teacher, and freelance newspaper reporter and columnist.

Cepeda's column can be seen on Thursdays in the Chicago Sun-Times and on The Newspaper's website. A frequent radio and television Contributor, she has appeared on Chicago radio stations WCKG, WBEZ Chicago Public Radio, WVON, and on the nationally syndicated Jerry Doyle Show. Her television appearances include Fox News Channel, The O'Reilly Factor, Chicago Tonight Week in Review with Joel Weisman, En Contexto/Telemundo and CNN Headline News.